There are many situations where is it desirable to locate buried utilities such as pipes and cables. For example, before starting any new construction that involves excavation, worker safety and economic concerns require the precise location and identification of existing underground utilities such as underground power lines, gas lines, phone lines, fiber optic cable conduits, cable television (CATV) cables, sprinkler control wiring, water pipes, sewer pipes, etc., collectively and individually herein referred to as “buried objects”.
Pipes and cables are often buried under roadways; thus, users engaging in a locate operation may be exposed to various roadway hazards, such as high traffic volume and/or speed, adverse weather conditions, poor visibility, etc. Existing utility locating systems traditionally interface with the user by providing auditory and/or visual feedback, associated with information about the location of the buried object. For example, some utility locating systems display images on a screen, such as arrows and/or emit an audible sound to provide left-right guidance toward a buried object. Such feedback mechanisms may, however, detract from a user's situational awareness under various work conditions. For example, relying on a visual display and/or auditory signals to trace a buried object in heavy traffic may pose a risk to both users conducting the locate operation, as well as drivers on the roadway.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to address the above-described, as well as other problems.